


mamihlapinatapai

by xxprincessxx



Series: serendipity [8]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Deep talk, F/M, honestly idk how to tag this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29751702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxprincessxx/pseuds/xxprincessxx
Summary: where ricky helps nini realize what it feels like to be in love
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Series: serendipity [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812445
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	mamihlapinatapai

**Author's Note:**

> mamihlapinatapai is the look shared between two people experiencing a private moment, in an expressive and meaningful silence, when each knows the other understands what is being expressed.

“Can you feel it?”

Her chest begins to tighten at the question, lacking the confidence to look up at the boy that was sitting across from her. Staring down at their hands, her grip on his starting to loosen, far too afraid of what was going to come next. She was confused and lost, knowing what she wants her answer to be but she couldn’t be certain if it was true.

No matter how hard she tried to open her mouth she couldn’t make herself form a coherent sentence. She wanted to assure him that she did feel it, she wanted to tell him that he was absolutely right. And yet, she was being pulled back by the little voice that kept playing over and over in her head.

Detecting her hesitation he shifts closer to her, practically invading her personal space. Slowly untangling their fingers, he notices the way she freezes. With tense shoulders and her chest wasn’t rising and falling, as if she was holding her breath in. Carefully he grabs her hand once more, but this time he had his hand on top of hers and lifted it to guide her hand to splay over her stomach.

Licking his chapped lips before speaking, “When we’re together,” He starts, his eyes never leaving her face, “Does your stomach feel like it’s turning over itself? Kinda like you’re nervous and excited all at the same time.”

A lump begins to form in her throat as she nods shyly, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. Suddenly she feels her stomach flop, it was like he knew exactly what was going on inside of her. That every time she caught him looking at her, a swarm of butterflies would flutter through her stomach and she didn’t know how to make them stop.

It was hard to describe what she felt when they were together, but the way he put it was on the nose. At the thought of them hanging out on their own, she would grow nervous before his arrival. Constantly questioning if she was going to mess up or do something that would turn him off from her. But once they were together, it was like he calmed her down without having to do anything but smile or press a kiss to her cheek.

Moving their joined hands, he brings them up to her face and places her hand to cradle her own cheek delicately. His larger hand still covering hers, his callouses rubbed against her smooth skin but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. Rather, she loved the roughness of his hands. Knowing that the callouses on his fingertips were from his constant guitar playing, and the ones at the top of his palms have been from his obsession with hitting the gym as of late.

“Do you feel like your cheeks burn every time I compliment you?” He asks quietly, “When I say you’re absolutely beautiful and I love your laugh. Every day I look forward to seeing you, and how you always seem to light up every room you walk in. Are you starting to get warm?”

Her blood begins to travel to her cheeks at his words, feeling his gaze boring into her. She takes a quick glance at his eyes that were watching her ever so carefully, before shifting her gaze back down again. Taking in a few shallow breaths, she presses her hand to her cheek as she nods once more.

Slowly he moves her hand to press her thumb onto her bottom lip, “Do you smile every time I text you?” He pauses, “Even if it’s something as simple like good morning or what did you have to eat today?”

Knitting her eyebrows together in confusion, wondering how he knew she did that. She’s never told anyone that, not even her best friend to who she tells everything to. Honestly, she thought it was really stupid but there was something inside of her that couldn’t even fight against the action. Finding that it was the sweetest thing that she’s his first thought of the day, and his last thought of the night, that he’s concerned for her well-being and finds any chance he can to text her.

Ever since they started whatever in the hell they were doing, he’s always managed to make her break into a smile. He didn’t have to make a joke to get her lips to stretch across her face. Sometimes when he wasn’t paying attention to her, when his head laid in her lap as they would watch a movie; her fingers would thread through his hair and she couldn’t help but beam at him. Just being around him could bring out her beautiful smile, she didn’t know why – but he did.

Immediately reading the answer on her face, he moves their hands to rest over her chest, right on top of her heart. She could feel her heartbeat pounding against her skin and in her ribcage. Noticing that it was starting to quicken its pace as soon as their hands came in contact with her exposed skin.

She couldn’t take her eyes off of their hands, shyly smiling down as his paler hand cupped her darker one. Gently his fingers begin to slot in between the gaps of her fingers, resting them against her warm skin. Instantly, she felt chills run up her spine and goosebumps rose on her arm, praying that he hadn’t noticed.

“Tell me what you feel,” He whispers.

“My heartbeat,” She answers, lifting her eyes to meet his, “It’s beating fast.”

“Do you know why?”

The smaller girl nods, “Because you’re here,” She tells him honestly, feeling his hand on top of hers twitch slightly.

Watching carefully as he takes her hand off of her chest and moves it to his own. Placing her hand in the exact same spot, right over his heart. The cotton of black V-neck was soft under her touch, but the thing that caught her attention was his pulse. It was fast, beating against her hand repeatedly, just like hers.

Applying a little more pressure on her hand, it was like he was trying to get the girl to feel every single beat. Almost as if he was telling her to hold his heart in her hand to understand something that was lost on her. Spreading her fingers over his chest, she moves to bring one of her legs to drape across his lap, drawing him in closer with the heel of her foot.

He took this as a signal to place his other hand on her knee, drawing slow and comforting circles onto her exposed skin. His attention was completely on the girl. His eyes flickered across her face, taking in every single detail in hopes to memorize her beautiful features. Neither of them said anything for a few moments. Silence surrounded the pair and to the boy’s surprise, he wasn’t the one to speak up first.

“How did you know?” She questions, her fingers sliding closer to his as she tightens her grip on him, “How did you know I felt all of that?”

“Because I feel it too,” He admits to her, moving his hand from her knee to her chin.

A small smile evident on both of their faces as he tilts her chin up to get a better look of her face. Her dark eyes shone brightly, despite the room being dimmer than it usually was. The only thing illuminating the room was the lamp that sat atop her nightstand.

“I smile whenever I see you, my stomach rolls in somersaults every time you say my name or when you show up to a lecture in one of my sweaters,” His head slowly approaching hers as he spoke. The pair glance down at the oversized red hoodie that was draped over her small frame, causing the pair to chuckle at the thought. “When I sing I get nervous because you give me this look. And even though it’s not true, you look at me like I’m the best singer you’ve ever heard.”

“That’s because you are,” She teases, beaming at the boy.

Scrunching his nose at her, she couldn’t help but think that was the cutest thing she’s ever seen him do. Deciding to mock him, she does the same thing back, causing the pair to erupt in soft laughter. But as soon as their laughter fades, the serious tone surrounds them once more. Her mouth twitching to the side as she glances down at where their hands were connected, she taps his chest lightly with her index finger.

“And your heart?”

“It beats fast, just like yours,” He answers her, slowly moving to press a gentle kiss to her cheek before bringing his lips to her ear, “Can you feel it, Nini?”

Tightening her grip on his fingers, as they slightly curl underneath her palm holding her hand tightly against his chest. Slowly, she moves to sit on his lap, her legs bracketing his thighs as she perched closer to his knees. Lifting her head to align her eyes with his, studying his face carefully.

His hair was messy and unruly, and his eyes looked back at her with adoration shining through. And his lips were slightly parted, slow and careful breathes begin to expel from his mouth. Despite her uncertainty, he seemed so calm and serene. Like, it didn’t matter if she felt it or not, that he was happy as long as she was with him. It was easy to read it on his face, but she wasn’t satisfied with that thought.

“How did you know what it felt like?”

The hand that wasn’t gripping hers moves up to tuck a strand of hair that had fallen over her eye. His thumb brushing across her cheek in the process, he pushes the hair behind her ear as he smiles up at the girl in his lap.

“One day I realized I would say all these kinds of things in my head that I wanted you to hear,” He begins to stroke her cheek delicately, “Things like how happy you make me, and how you make me a better person, you bring out the real me. And on days that are super crappy and I don’t want to see or talk to anyone, for some reason you don’t count. I always want to be with you. I think I’ve always felt it, it just took a while for me to realize it.”

As he spoke, she flattens her hand on his chest once more, his hand never leaving hers. She was incredibly focused on his words and the steady beat of his heart. Never once did he hesitate, nor falter. That’s how she knew he was telling the truth.

In every sentence that he had uttered, she knew they were all reasons to the bigger and broader word. Even though he didn’t say it, they both knew the four-letter word was hanging in the balance. Begging to be said, but not quite letting it slip past his lips until he knew she was absolutely ready.

Then something inside her flipped like a switch. Maybe it was what he said, or the way he was looking at her. Maybe it was his patience and his willingness to wait for her so that she knew what truly lived on in her heart.

But she knew it wasn’t any of those things. She’s never been the best with words and figuring out her emotions. They were always confusing in her head, needing reassurance and guidance for so all the emotions she’s ever felt. But this was all new to her.

Never has she felt the way she does for him than anyone before. It may be new and it may be scary, but there was a part of her that knew it was worth the risk. That even though she doesn’t know what’s going to come of this, or what to expect, it was all going to be okay. This one time, she is certain; because she had him.

With her hand on his chest, she moves to guide his back to hers right over her heart. Her eyes never left his as she did so, returning her hand splay over his broad chest. Her tongue darts out as she licks her dry lips, she feels her heart begin to pick up a little and it was obvious in his face that he noticed.

“I feel it, Ricky,” She sends a small nod, “With my whole heart, I feel it.”

**Author's Note:**

> i kinda loved how this one turned out, idk if its my sleep deprived brain because i wrote this up last night. so like if it sucks kindly look away lmao
> 
> so, today's my birthday lol so i figured i'd come on here and post a little something as my birthday present to all of you (it doesn't have to make sense lmao) anyways, thank you all for your kind words in this last year and for reading my works. it truly means the world to me, more than you'll ever know.
> 
> as always, you can find me on tumblr @nini-ricky !!
> 
> see you soon xx


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